Today is an exciting day, or rather terrifying depending on how you look at it. While it is hard to believe, our time on Mt. St. James is over, after four of the most challenging yet rewarding years come to close.

Upon entering school, people always said don’t blink, for the years go by fast. I Did not realize this to be true until now. Doesn't Freshman year feel like just yesterday moving into school, being overwhelmed by the energetic upperclassmen eagerly carrying our bags, to dorms such as Wheeler, Hanselman, or Mulledy, as we tried not to show you nervousness. Living in dorm rooms new way of life. We learned new things such as the value of Quarters because paying for laundry foreign concept

On graduation day, as we look at photo of baby face crusader card, it is hard to believe we were once that person. Whether we want to admit it or not, 4 years have passed by, and the day after graduation, it will feel like just yesterday we graduated, because in fact will have been just yesterday. It is that it is hard to what to measure the last 4 years we have spent at Holy Cross. It may be in the number cups of coffee we purchase at cool beans during finals week, there were a lot of those. It can be measured in the number of purple holy cross t shirts we own, now knowing that purple is more than a color to us. It can be measured in the number of books we buy from the bookstore that don’t end up getting taken back at the end of each semester. What I have found is that rather than measure in physical objects, our time at Holy Cross characterized by lessons and experiences.

My Junior year of college, I took an African American LIterature Course with Professor Knight. We read works by authors such as Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglass once said “If there is no Struggle, there is no Progress. I chose to take this class shortly after deciding I wanted to drop my double major in sociology. I enjoyed Sociology, but I was forcing something I wasn’t passionate about. I thought as the typical “Type A” Holy Cross student, I needed double major with heavy and challenging course load. While it was a struggle to decide to drop the double major , I found progress in investing myself whole heartedly in my English major, what I am truly passionate about

Struggle and Progress are two very different terms that we as students have become acclimated with over the last four years. From day one of stepping foot on Mount. St. James, we as students and human beings have been challenged and pushed outside of our comfort zones. We struggle to stay awake during our all nighters we face in the depths of Dinand, trying to finish our 15-page papers or studying for our cumulative exams last minute, not that we put anything off to the last minute. We struggle to make it up the steps of Dinand without tripping, like that one time i was trying to read the Greek letters between the columns, resulting in me face planting to the ground. We struggle with not running out of Dining Dollars 1 month in, so Kudos to any of you are actually able to manage your money. As seniors, we struggle with coming to terms time at Holy Cross coming to an end

As Douglass once said, with struggle comes progress. While over the years we have faced struggle, created progress to better ourselves and prepare us for our future. After years of overcoming obstacles, such as Worcester's harsh winters, and waiting in line in Kimball for chicken parm, we embark on a new adventure, knowing how to handle challenges thrown at us, newfound independence. While another chapter ends, this is only the beginning. We the unforgettable memories and lifelong friendships provided over the last three years, as we pursue our final year in hopes of making it the best one yet. We can now go with confidence on our next journey through life, yet always remember where we came from, everything and everyone that has gotten us to where you are now. May we never lose your drive or our passion.

Always hold onto our curiosity, and don’t forget to ask more.